jobs
Background | Faith Perspective | Take Action | Resources | Programs and Organizations
Background
 Everyone has the right to a job and a living wage. When the private sector cannot provide living wage jobs for all those who seek or need them, public policies should promote decent work, enhance social safety nets, and ensure that vulnerable people have the opportunity to access both.
As we transition to a cleaner economy, jobs will be created to construct new energy-efficient buildings, to fix homes and offices to maintain lower energy costs, and to install solar panels and build wind farms to generate renewable energy.
Learn more about justice in the workplace and green jobs.
Faith Perspective
"Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness and his upper rooms by injustice; who makes his neighbors work for nothing, and does not give them their wages." (Jeremiah 22:13)
"Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts." (James 5:4)
"How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help?" (1 John 3:17)
"If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in any of your towns within the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbor.You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be." (Deuteronomy 15:7-8)
Click here for the United Church of Christ Reflection "Jesus was a Low-Wage Worker."
[Return to top.]
Take Action!
- Visit Let Justice Roll, a faith community effort to support fairer wages across the country. Go to www.letjusticeroll.org for information, worship resources and contact information to help you connect with activists in your state or community.
- Write to your Member of Congress and ask them to support efforts to increase the minimum wage and make it a living wage.
- Find out if your local church has adopted a living wage model for its staff.
- Visit the National Interfaith Committee for Work Justice and participate in protecting the 40 hour work week, increasing the minimum wage, and the "Quality Care Through Quality Jobs Campaign".
- Fighting Poverty with Faith: Good Jobs Green Jobs - Click here for five advocacy points!
[Return to top.] |
The Poverty Initiative
is part of the Justice and Advocacy Commission of the